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Re: Tokyo's Pyramid City

I know modern construction and engineering is a marvel and for the most part, very competent. I'm not sure though, in a high earthquake region like Japan, how hip I'd be to my apartment building hanging from one pole like an ornament on a pyramid shaped Christmas tree.

Re: Tokyo's Pyramid City

It is sad to see us falling behind on the marvel front... but pride isn't enough of a reason to build anything in the US right now. Japan is very crunched for space, so they've got motivation to try something new. In the US we've got more space than we know what to do with, so you see cities like Houston with a dozen or so tall towers in the city center then one to two story buildings spaced apart or in strip malls for the next however many miles out around it.

I use Houston as an example since I'm there right now... and I was shocked by just how much urban sprawl there is around here... I like my way of life, having grown up in suburban or medium size downs (like Ames) but at some point this method of building becomes excessive and rediculous. The resources we expend to build out rather than up... (it takes a lot more infastructure I'm sure), the sheer redundancy of having the same store every other mile, not to mention the increase in public servants (police, firefighters, city maintence crews) has to be taking a toll somewhere.

Oh yeah plus rain run off on all of the concrete... I mean they have special ways of marking lanes here just to deal with the rain on the road.

I'm not suggesting we all move to pyramids or kilometer high sky scrappers... but we could atleast work on some inovation to improve the way we live in spread out suburbs or big houses on 1/4 acre plots, and consider atleast one or two modern marvels to keep us on the radar.

The Freedom tower in New York was supposed to do that, but it's been 7 years and they're still arguing about what it should look like!

Oh we will fight, fight, fight for Iowa State, and may her colors ever fly!!! In Accordance with Prophecy

Re: Tokyo's Pyramid City

Originally Posted by Flag Guy

The resources we expend to build out rather than up... (it takes a lot more infastructure I'm sure), the sheer redundancy of having the same store every other mile, not to mention the increase in public servants (police, firefighters, city maintence crews) has to be taking a toll somewhere.

I'm not a big fan of urban sprawl, but aren't many infrastructure requirements primarily based on number of people, and not square footage occupied? If there are x number of crimes per 100 people, and it takes y police to work that crime rate, I don't think the number of police required will change much if the population is spread out or bunched up. The response time may be quicker if the police don't have to travel as far.

Also, it takes significantly more expensive equipment to deal with a fire in a skyscraper than it does to deal with a fire in a single-family dwelling or a single-story strip mall. Again, if x number people cause y number of fires, you need to be able to deal with the fire rate, no matter how the people are arranged.

Re: Tokyo's Pyramid City

Originally Posted by jbhtexas

I'm not a big fan of urban sprawl, but aren't many infrastructure requirements primarily based on number of people, and not square footage occupied? If there are x number of crimes per 100 people, and it takes y police to work that crime rate, I don't think the number of police required will change much if the population is spread out or bunched up. The response time may be quicker if the police don't have to travel as far.

Also, it takes significantly more expensive equipment to deal with a fire in a skyscraper than it does to deal with a fire in a single-family dwelling or a single-story strip mall. Again, if x number people cause y number of fires, you need to be able to deal with the fire rate, no matter how the people are arranged.

I realize that population is a requirement, however I don't think it's strictly a 2 dimensional equation. And the greater cost would be more in the sanitation/street maintence, etc.

The potential for fire damage is a factor... though better engineering could help with that too.

I'm not saying I want to see everyone living in sky scrappers but there has to be some intermediate solution between sprawl and towers

Oh we will fight, fight, fight for Iowa State, and may her colors ever fly!!! In Accordance with Prophecy

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